Despite the severe consequences associated with leaving the scene of a vehicular accident, hit-and-run incidents are on the rise. Even more troubling, the number of fatalities resulting from hit-and-run collisions is increasing, even though the number of fatalities resulting from traffic accidents has decreased overall.
Furthermore, analysis of hit-and-run crashes shows that “about one in five of all pedestrian fatalities are hit-and-runs, and 60% of hit-and-run fatalities have pedestrians as victims.” Larry Copeland, Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes on the Rise in U.S., USA TODAY, Nov. 10, 2013. Thus, not only are the incidences of hit-and-runs increasing, hit-and-run collisions are of significant consequence.
Hit-and-runs are often extremely difficult to prosecute. Larry Stevenson, a former Denver police officer, says that “‘[h]it-and-run accidents are one of the most unsolvable crimes[ ] . . . . You are looking for a ghost. Rarely do victims have good information of what hit them.’” Jeremy P. Meyer, Denver's Medina Alert Gets Public Involved in Solving Hit-and-Runs, DENVER POST, Apr. 30, 2016.
In an attempt to prevent and prosecute hit-and-run incidents, many states are implementing hit-and-run notification systems to notify the public of hit-and-run collisions, in the hope that a member of the public will have and provide information to the appropriate law enforcement agency, leading to an arrest. California Assemblyman Mike Gatto explained that he was proposing a hit-and-run notification system in California because “‘[t]o reduce the number of hit-and-runs, you have to actually have some people get caught . . . . In many cases, the injuries are preventable, and in many cases—particularly in rural areas—the person who's in the best position to render aid is the one who caused the accident. So we're really just trying to get people to stop.’” Alayna Shulman, Yellow Alert to Target Hit-and-Run Drivers, REDDING RECORD SEARCHLIGHT, Dec. 26, 2015.
Problematically, of course, these hit-and-run notification systems are limited in geographic scope and by available resources. For example, under California's “Yellow Alert” hit-and-run notification system, a suspect's name, license plate number, or vehicle description is broadcast onto the state's freeways via an electronic road sign. Yet, the system is only available for those crashes causing serious injury or death and for those crashes occurring on freeways controlled by the California Highway Patrol. Law enforcement agencies can only take advantage of California's Yellow Alert system for crashes occurring in local jurisdictions if the crashes are reported to the California Highway Patrol.
Furthermore, many bureaucratic steps are often required to activate a hit-and-run notification system. For example, if a hit-and-run incident is reported to a California law enforcement agency, the agency must first determine whether the Yellow Alert requirements have been met and then request that the California Highway Patrol activate the Yellow Alert. Cal. Gov. Code § 8594.15(b)(1).
These requirements are significant. In California, a hit-and-run notification will only be activated if all of the following conditions are met:                (1) A person has been killed or has suffered serious bodily injury due to a hit-and-run incident.        (2) There is an indication that a suspect has fled the scene utilizing the state highway system or is likely to be observed by the public on the state highway system.        (3) The investigating law enforcement agency has additional information concerning the suspect or the suspect's vehicle, including, but not limited to, any of the following:                    (A) The complete license plate number of the suspect's vehicle.            (B) A partial license plate number and additional unique identifying characteristics, such as the make, model, and color of the suspect's vehicle, which could reasonably lead to the apprehension of the suspect.            (C) The identity of the suspect.                        Id. at § 8594.15(c).        
After the California law enforcement agency determines that the Yellow Alert requirements described above have been met, the California Highway Patrol must then also determine whether the Yellow Alert requirements have been met. Id. at § 8594.15(b)(1). Only then, and only if resources are available, will the California Highway Patrol activate the notification.
Even if the hit-and-run notification request makes it through these bureaucratic hurdles, the notification still may not be made public. If multiple hit-and-run notifications are requested, the notifications may be prioritized according to, for example, “the severity of the injury, the time elapsed between a hit-and-run, the incident and the request, or the likelihood that an activation would reasonably lead to the apprehension of a suspect.” Id. at § 8594.15(b)(4).
Finally, if the hit-and-run notification is activated, it is only visible on electronic highway signs in a geographically limited area.
Thus, the problem of coordinating notifications with respect to hit-and-run incidents is a serious issue, yet existing technology makes it impossible for law enforcement agencies to quickly and accurately disseminate and gather information relating to these crimes. What is needed is a method and system for aggregating vehicle data to support vehicle investigations.